Music-leaf turner.



W. L. SGHAEFFER.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1913.

1 09 44 Patented June 2, 1914.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. L. SCHAEFPER.

. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25, 1913.

Patented June 2, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

atro'wwngo COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CD.,WASHINGTON. DJ

W. L. SGHAEFPER.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER. APPLICATION FILMS AUG. 25, 1913.

1,098,644. Patented June 2, 1914. I v 3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

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UNITED STATES PA E T omen.

WINTERS L. SCI-IAEFFEB, OF CHANDLER-VILLE, ILLINOIS, AS IGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO IRA MAR-CY, OF GHANDLERVILLE, ILLINOIS.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1914.

Application filed August 25, 1913. Serial No. 786,549;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVIN'rnRs L. SCHAEF- ran, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chandlerville, in the county of Cass and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music Leaf Turners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invent-ion relates to music, and more especially to machines for turning the leaves thereof when the music stands on the rack of a piano or organ; and the object of the same is to improve the construction of a machine of this kind. This and other objects are carried out as set forth in the following specification and claim, and as shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the lower portion of this device, with the casing partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the casing also partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig; 4 is a horizontal sectional detail on the line 14- of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe portion below the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of one of the guides, and Fig. 7 a perspectire detail of one of the catches.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates what I will call a base, and it is usually an upright piece of light board adapted to stand on the music rack, and the numeral 2 refers generally to the casing which is preferably of sheet metal attached to the base and covering and inclosing so much of the mechanism hereinafter described as is pos sible. These parts may be of any suitable configuration and ornamentation, and need not be further described in detail. Mountedshown and are of variable length that on the right hand shaft being shortest, the next a little longer, and so on throughout the series. The lower ends of the various shafts beneath the casing are bent forward into crank-arms 7 and turned downward at their extremities in finger pieces 8, the finger piece of one arm overlying the arm of the rock shaft next adjacent; and the various arms project through slots 9 in a semi-cylindrical extension 10 below the casing as shown. I may here say that these arms and their finger-pieces are provided in order to enable the player to repeat music. At the beginning of his or her play all the sheets of music are to the right and scare the arms, as playing progresses each of the leaves is turned over and the arms move successively over to the left, but when occasion arises where any portion of the music must be repeated it is possible for the player to grasp the last finger-piece and move it back to the right so that the leaf is turned over and the music on a page which has already been played may be repeatedin fact, it is possible for the player to turn over two or even three of the leaves and repeat a considerable portion of the music. In this case, however, he or she will grasp the proper fingerpiece and move it from left to right, and as the finger-pieces of other arms which then stand to the left overlie the arm of the finger-piece which is thrown over to the right, they are carried over to the right with it.

The numeral 11 designates a bracket within the casing, and 12, 12 are springs attached at one end to this bracket and at the other end to the various cranks on the rock shaftstheir purpose being to turn the latter to the left when the cranks are released by the retaining mechanism yet to be described.

Secured to each rock shaft just above the casing is a radially projected arm 12 having a spring clip 13 at its outer end to grasp the lower edge of the music leaf, and slidably mounted on the shaft near its upper end is a similar arm 14 having aspring clip 15 to grasp the upper edge of the leaf. I prefer to make the uppermost arms adjustable in order that they may be adapted to music leaves which are of less than standard height. A housing secured to the base. v1

overlies, the shanks of the rock shafts be? not become entangled with the shafts. Ob-

viously it is not necessary that there be seven rock shafts, as there might be a greater or a lesser number. The front of the casing I would make removable in any suitable manner so that access might be had to the interior, but details of this character need not be amplified.

The retaining mechanisln comprises a series of catches 20, formed preferably in the shape of rods having eyes 21 at their lower ends mounted on a rod 22 within the casing, while the forward ends of said rods move in slots 23 formed in a plate 24 also carried by the casing; and each rod has a nose 25 which is beveled on its front side and abrupt on its rear side. When new any crank is drawn over to the right against the tension of its spring, it passes the beveled side of the nose and pushes the catch outward against the tension of a leaf spring 27, and when it has cleared the nose said spring throws the catch into engagement with the crank so that it and its rock shaft and the leaf-clips are held in this position. In effect, therefore, the nose 25 constitutes the catch which is supported on a swinging rod spring-pressed in one direction so that it will engage and retain thecrank when it is thrown over to the right. The releasing mechanism for disengaging said catches consists of a series of key-levers 30, each having an eye 31 at its rear end loosely mounted on a rod 32 within the casing and a button or key 33 at its front end, and its body projects through a slot 34 in the casing so that the keys of the various levers are within easy reach of the operator. Each rod is connected. by a cord or wire 36 with the upper end of one of the rods 20. It follows that when any key is depressed said wire draws the catch to the right and disengages its nose 25 from the crank on the rock shaft, if said crank be then at the right; but if the operator should depress the wrong key no harm will result as he cannot release a crank that has not been turned over to the right, nor can he permit the movement over to the left of any crank but the last one of the series.

WVith this construction of parts, the operation of the machine is as follows: The music having been opened and its various leaves caught attheir upper and lower edges between the spring clips on the radial arms, all the leaves in use (excepting the title page) are turned over to the right where the operator can read. The playing now begins, and when he or she has reached the bottom of the first page the left hand key 33 is depressed. This releases the catch 25 from the crank of the left hand rock shaft, and its spring immediately turns this shaft in the slots 3 and throws the first leaf of the music over to the leftso that the player can see the second page thereof. Having played this and the first page of the succeeding leaf, the operation is continued. by depressing the second key 33; and so on throughout the entire piece of music. If any part of the music is to be repeated which is over the page to the left, the operator has to move from left to right the finger piece 8 of the arm 7 which at that time stands uppermost below the casing, and this carries the last leaf over again to the right where its first page can be seen as will be understood. If it should so happen. that the music to be repeated extends over several pages which have been turned to the left, the operator manipulates two or three of the finger pieces 8 and their arms 7. Having finished playing this piece of music, it is disengaged from the spring clips and removed, and another piece substituted so that the operation can be re peated. I do not wish to be confined strictly to the details of construction, and obviously the proportions, materials, and finish of parts are unimportant.

Attention is particularly directed to the arcuate slots 3 cut in the guides 4, which slots loosely receive the rock shafts at sev eral points within the length of the latter. lVhere there are several upright shafts as shown, the central shaft will pass through a plain hole in the guide 4, and on each side of this shaft the next slot 3 will be struck around said central. hole or hearing at the center and will be rather short, whereas the next slot 3 will be a little longer, and the outside slot the longest of all. These are not hearings in the ordinary acceptance of the term, because the rock shafts are permitted to rotate on their own axes and to move slightly toward and from the base during such rotation. The obvious purpose is to permit each leaf of music to move on the fold line which constitutes the hinge for all the leaves, and yet no leaf will be torn. At .the beginning of play all the shafts stand as seen in Fig. 3, with the clips on the intermediate shaft engaging the central leaf in the piece of music; and at the finish of play the shafts have assumed a reverse position as seen in Fig. 4. Meanwhile each leaf has been carried over from its initial position flat against the right hand end of the rack, to its opposite position flat against the left hand end of the rack, and yet no leaf has been torn as might be the case if the rock shafts were mounted in bearings as usually employed.

V7 hat is claimed as new is:

In a music leaf turner, the combination of a framework, a plurality of horizontally disposed spaced guide plates carried by said framework in upright alineinent with each 10 other ends with laterally extending operating fingers, and means for turning said shafts to one side or the other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lVINTER-S L. SCI-IAEFFER.

Witnesses:

WVM. I. L. PILOHER, W. T. PRATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

